San Miguel submits proposal to build P5.48-B Boracay bridge

Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. on Friday said it has submitted a complete proposal to build a bridge that would connect Malay, Aklan to Boracay Island.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, San Miguel said it has completed the submission of its proposal to build the Boracay Bridge Project to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

The DPWH described the project as a 1.2-kilometer. limited-access bridge infrastructure between Boracay Island and the main island of Panay (Malay, Aklan).

"The bridge is not envisioned to cater vehicular through-traffic, so as not to congest the island, but will be provided with loading/unloading areas on both ends to process the movement of commuters, solid waste, goods and supplies," the DPWH said on its website.

The Boracay bridge has an estimated cost of P5.476 billion, of which P4.407 billion will be allocated for construction and related activities while P1.069 billion will be earmarked for right-of-way cost.

The DPWH confirmed the completeness of proposal on January 29, 2019 but the details were made public only recently.

The unsolicited proposal is now undergoing the department's evaluation.

The project are seen to have the following benefits:

• to manage environmental carrying capacity of the Boracay Island
• to open-up a new all-weather access for vehicles and pedestrians, thereby, encouraging people to consider alternative accommodations and activity centers at the mainland
• to free-up Boracay Island from pressures due to over-crowding and overuse of existing facilities, which ultimately produces adverse environmental impact

Before the island resort went on a six-month closure in April 2018, San Miguel president Ramon Ang proposed that the government look into the possibility of building a bridge that would connect Caticlan, Aklan to Boracay Island. — RSJ, GMA News